Expedite Post-Tensioning, Form & Shore Removal

Monitor concrete maturity with COMMAND Center to identify when in-place concrete achieves specified strengths in the field so that steel cables can be post-tensioned and formwork and shoring can be removed.

Most specifications require early-age concrete to achieve a certain minimum strength before allowing the construction team to post tension steel and remove formwork and shoring. In order to be sure the concrete has reached the specified strength, projects conduct laboratory tests. However, these laboratory tests—usually either compressive or flexural strength tests conducted on small concrete specimens—do not always accurately represent actual strength gain of concrete in the field. In-place concrete might gain strength faster than laboratory specimens, meaning that valuable time is wasted waiting for specimens to reach the required strength.

To mitigate the disparity between laboratory test specimens and actual in-place concrete, construction teams can monitor the maturity of in-place concrete as a supplement to standard strength tests. By using COMMAND Center maturity monitoring to determine when adequate concrete strength is achieved in the field, construction teams can move on to post-tensioning and form and shore removal as soon as the in-place concrete is ready.

General Procedure:

Develop a relationship between strength gain and maturity according to ASTM C1047 standard test methods using COMMAND Center equipment.

Use a compatible COMMAND Center reader to collect temperature and time data from the sensors.

The COMMAND Center software automatically converts the collected temperature and time data into a maturity index value, and then uses the maturity index value to estimate the concrete’s strength. View strength and maturity graphs on the hand-held device in the field or transfer the data to a computer for further analysis.